U.S. patent number 6,969,293 [Application Number 10/764,749] was granted by the patent office on 2005-11-29 for bubble generating assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Arko Development Ltd.. Invention is credited to Douglas Thai.
United States Patent |
6,969,293 |
Thai |
November 29, 2005 |
Bubble generating assembly
Abstract
A bubble generating assembly has a housing having a front
opening, with a bubble generating ring and a nozzle positioned
adjacent the front opening. The assembly has a first container
coupled to the housing and retaining bubble solution, and a second
container coupled to the housing and retaining a liquid (e.g.,
water). The first and second containers can be positioned next to
each other. The assembly also has a first trigger, and a second
trigger positioned next to the first trigger so that a user can
simultaneously actuate the first and second triggers.
Inventors: |
Thai; Douglas (Walnut, CA) |
Assignee: |
Arko Development Ltd. (Hong
Kong, HK)
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Family
ID: |
31716043 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/764,749 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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444561 |
May 23, 2003 |
6682570 |
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247994 |
Sep 20, 2002 |
6616498 |
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195816 |
Jul 15, 2002 |
6620016 |
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133195 |
Apr 26, 2002 |
6659831 |
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099431 |
Mar 15, 2002 |
6659834 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
446/15;
446/16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H
33/28 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63H 033/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;446/15-21,484 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Banks; Derris H.
Assistant Examiner: Williams; J
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sun; Raymond
Parent Case Text
RELATED CASES
This is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/444,561 filed May 23, 2003,
now U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,570, which is a continuation-in-part of
Ser. No. 10/247,994, entitled "Bubble Generating Assembly", filed
Sep. 20, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,616,498, which is a
continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 10/195,816, entitled "Bubble
Generating Assembly", filed Jul. 15, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No.
6,620,016, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.
10/133,195, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Delivering Bubble
Solution to a Dipping Container", filed Apr. 26, 2002 now U.S. Pat.
No. 6,659,831, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.
10/099,431, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Delivering Bubble
Solution to a Dipping Container", filed Mar. 15, 2002 now U.S. Pat.
No. 6,659,834, whose disclosures are incorporated by this reference
as though fully set forth herein.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bubble generating assembly comprising: a housing having a
front opening; a bubble generating ring positioned adjacent the
front opening; an air channel positioned inside the housing; an air
generator coupled to the air channel, wherein the air generator
directs air towards the bubble generating ring; and an air control
system that has a cover element which is adjusted to partially
cover the air channel in a manner such that the air channel is
always at least partially exposed to ambient.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the air generator is a fan that
is aligned with the bubble generating ring.
3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the air generator is housed
inside the housing.
4. The assembly of claim 1, further including: a motor retained
inside the housing and coupled to the air generator; and a trigger
coupled to the coupled for activating the air generator.
5. The assembly of claim 1, further including: a source of bubble
solution; and a tubing that couples the source of bubble solution
and the bubble generating ring.
6. The assembly of claim 5, further including: a pump system
coupled to the tubing; and a trigger coupled to the pump system to
control the delivery of bubble solution to the bubble generating
ring.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bubble toys, and in particular, to
a bubble generating assembly which automatically forms a bubble
film over a bubble ring without the need to dip the bubble ring
into a container or a dish of bubble solution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bubble producing toys are very popular among children who enjoy
producing bubbles of different shapes and sizes. Many bubble
producing toys have previously been provided. Perhaps the simplest
example has a stick with a circular opening or ring at one end,
resembling a wand. A bubble solution film is produced when the ring
is dipped into a dish that holds bubble solution or bubble
producing fluid (such as soap) and then removed therefrom. Bubbles
are then formed by blowing carefully against the film. Such a toy
requires dipping every time a bubble is to created, and the bubble
solution must accompany the wand from one location to another.
Recently, the market has provided a number of different bubble
generating assemblies that are capable of producing a plurality of
bubbles. Examples of such assemblies are illustrated in U.S. Pat.
No. 6,149,486 (Thai), U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,130 (Thai) and U.S. Pat.
No. 6,200,184 (Rich et al.). The bubble rings in the bubble
generating assemblies in U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,486 (Thai), U.S. Pat.
No. 6,331,130 (Thai) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,184 (Rich et al.) need
to be dipped into a dish that holds bubble solution to produce
films of bubble solution across the rings. The motors in these
assemblies are then actuated to generate air against the films to
produce bubbles.
All of these aforementioned bubble generating assemblies require
that one or more bubble rings be dipped into a dish of bubble
solution. In particular, the child must initially pour bubble
solution into the dish, then replenish the solution in the dish as
the solution is being used up. After play has been completed, the
child must then pour the remaining solution from the dish back into
the original bubble solution container. Unfortunately, this
continuous pouring and re-pouring of bubble solution from the
bottle to the dish, and from the dish back to the bottle, often
results in unintended spillage, which can be messy, dirty, and a
waste of bubble solution.
Thus, there remains a need to provide an apparatus and method for
forming a film of bubble solution across a bubble ring without the
need to dip the bubble ring into a dish of bubble solution.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus
and method for effectively forming a film of bubble solution across
a bubble ring.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an
apparatus and method for effectively forming a film of bubble
solution across a bubble ring in a manner which minimizes spillage
of the bubble solution.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an
apparatus having a simple construction that effectively forms a
film of bubble solution across a bubble ring.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an
apparatus where droplets of unused bubble solution can be returned
to the bubble solution container, and having a valve that prevents
bubble solution from spilling from the bubble solution
container.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an
apparatus which can direct a stream of water at a plurality of
formed bubbles.
The objectives of the present invention are accomplished by
providing a bubble generating assembly that has a housing having a
front opening, with a bubble generating ring and a nozzle
positioned adjacent the front opening. The assembly has a first
container coupled to the housing and retaining bubble solution, and
a second container coupled to the housing and retaining a liquid
(e.g., water). The first and second containers can be positioned
next to each other. The assembly also has a first trigger, and a
second trigger positioned next to the first trigger so that a user
can simultaneously actuate the first and second triggers. A first
tubing couples the interior of the first container with the ring,
and a second tubing couples the interior of the second container
with the nozzle. A link assembly couples the first trigger and the
ring in a manner in which actuation of the first trigger causes
bubbles to be formed by the ring, and a liquid generator couples
the second trigger and the nozzle in a manner in which actuation of
the second trigger causes liquid from the second container to be
ejected from the nozzle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a bubble generating assembly according to
one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown
with the bubble ring in the normal position.
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown
with the bubble ring in the actuated position.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown
with the bubble trigger in the normal position.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown
with the bubble trigger being actuated.
FIG. 6 is an isolated and enlarged perspective view of the link
system of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the bubble ring in the
normal position.
FIG. 7 is an isolated and enlarged perspective view of the link
system of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the bubble ring in the
actuated position.
FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the internal components of the
assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the bubble ring in the normal
position and the air control system in a first position.
FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the internal components of the
assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the bubble ring in the actuated
position and the air control system in a second position.
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the pump system of the
assembly of FIG. 1.
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the bubble ring of the
assembly of FIG. 1.
FIG. 12 is an isolated top plan view illustrating the relationship
between the pressure rollers and the tubing when the assembly of
FIG. 1 is in the normal non-bubble-generating condition.
FIG. 13 is an isolated top plan view illustrating the relationship
between the pressure rollers and the tube when the assembly of FIG.
1 is in the bubble-generating position.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the slider of the pump system of
FIG. 10.
FIG. 15 is a side perspective view of one half of the housing of
the assembly of FIG. 1.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the valve element of the connector
of the assembly of FIG. 1.
FIG. 17 illustrates the liquid trigger and pump of the bubble
generating assembly of FIG. 1 in the non-use position.
FIG. 18 illustrates the liquid trigger and pump of the bubble
generating assembly of FIG. 1 in the bubble generating
position.
FIG. 19 is an isolated side plan view illustrating the operation of
the solution pump system when the assembly of FIG. 1 is in the
normal non-bubble-generating condition.
FIG. 20 is an isolated side plan view illustrating the operation of
the solution pump system when the assembly of FIG. 1 is in the
bubble-generating position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following detailed description is of the best presently
contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description
is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the
purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the
invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the
appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of
well-known devices and mechanisms are omitted so as to not obscure
the description of the present invention with unnecessary
detail.
The present invention provides a bubble generating assembly that
can, upon actuating a first trigger, generate a plurality of
bubbles without the need to manually dip a bubble ring into bubble
solution. The bubble generating assembly of the present invention
can also, upon actuating a second trigger positioned next to the
first trigger, generate a stream of liquid that can be aimed at the
bubbles.
FIGS. 1-18 illustrate one embodiment of a bubble generating
assembly 20 according to the present invention. The assembly 20 has
a housing 22 that includes a handle section 24 and a barrel section
26. The housing 22 can be provided in the form of two symmetrical
outer shells that are connected together by, for example, screws or
welding or glue. These outer shells together define a hollow
interior for housing the internal components of the assembly 20, as
described below. The handle section 24 has an inner surface 28 that
can be gripped by the hand of a user, and two triggers 42 and 44
extending from the inner surface 28 adjacent the top of the handle
section 24. As described in greater detail below, a bubble trigger
44 is utilized to generate a plurality of bubbles 18, and a liquid
trigger 42 is utilized to actuate a liquid generator to generate
streams of a liquid 19. The two triggers 42, 44 can be positioned
side-by-side so that they can be simultaneously actuated by
separate fingers of the same hand of the user.
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, 8, 9 and 15, the lower front portion of
the barrel section 26 defines a first receiving space 30 that
removably couples a conventional bubble solution bottle 32, and a
second receiving space 31 that removably couples another bottle 33,
such as a liquid-containing bottle 33. The two bottles 32, 33 can
be positioned side-by-side The bubble solution bottle 32 can be
provided in the form of any of the conventional bubble solution
containers that are currently available in the marketplace. Each
receiving space 30 and 31 is defined by a respective cap-like
connector 34 and 35. Each connector 34, 35 has internal threads
that are adapted to releasably engage the external threads 36 on
the neck of the bottles 32, 33. In addition, a front opening 38
(see FIGS. 2 and 3) and a nozzle 39 are provided at the front of
the barrel section 26, with the nozzle 39 positioned below the
front opening 38.
The handle section 24 houses a power source 48 which can include at
least one conventional battery. A motor 50 is secured to the
housing 22 at a location that is adjacent the trigger 44. The motor
50 is electrically coupled to the power source 48 via a first wire
52. A second wire 58 couples the power source 48 to an electrical
contact 60 (see FIGS. 6-9), which is adapted to releasably contact
the motor 50 to form a closed electrical circuit. The electrical
contact 60 is attached to the trigger 44. A solution pump system 61
(described in greater detail below) is secured to the housing 22 at
a position adjacent the motor 50, and is operatively coupled to the
motor 50 to deliver bubble solution from the bottle 32 to a bubble
ring 106. In addition, a liquid pump system 54 (described in
greater detail below) is secured inside the housing 22 and is
operatively coupled to the trigger 42 to deliver liquid from the
bottle 33 to the nozzle 39.
Referring to FIGS. 4-9, the trigger 44 is a generally triangular,
vertical planar piece that has a horizontal bar 72 extending
transversely from the trigger 44. The bar 72 can even be formed in
one piece together with the trigger 44. A channel 68 is formed
between two horizontal pieces 64, 66 that are secured to the
housing 22, with part of the bar 72 positioned for reciprocating
motion inside the channel 68, so that the bar 72 can slide back and
forth along the channel 68 when the trigger 44 moves back and
forth. The electrical contact 60 is secured to the diagonal surface
70 of the trigger 44. A horizontal platform 80 is carried on top of
the trigger 44 in an orientation transverse to the trigger 44. A
vertical piece 82 extends vertically from a side edge of the
platform 80, and a shelf 84 extends horizontally in a transverse
orientation from the top of the vertical piece 82. A bottom edge of
the vertical piece 82 is retained inside a channel 78 and is
adapted to move back and forth inside the channel 78 to guide the
vertical piece 82 while the trigger 44 is moved back and forth. The
shelf 84 is oriented to be parallel to the platform 80, with the
vertical piece 82 perpendicular to the shelf 84 and the platform
80.
A resilient member 76 (such as a spring) has one end hooked to the
front edge of the platform 80, and has an opposing edge connected
to a rod 74 that is secured to the housing 22. Since the position
of the rod 74 is fixed, the resilient member 76 normally biases the
trigger 44 in the forward direction (see arrow F in FIGS. 4 and 7).
When a user presses the trigger 44, the pressing force overcomes
the natural bias of the resilient member 76 and pushes the trigger
44 in the rearward direction (see arrow R in FIGS. 4 and 7) until
the electrical contact 60 engages the motor 50, closing the
electrical circuit and actuating the motor 50. When the user
releases his or her grip on the trigger 44, the bias of the
resilient member 76 will bias the trigger 44 in the forward
direction to cause the electrical contact 60 to disengage the motor
50, thereby opening the electrical circuit so that the motor 50 is
not powered by the power source 48 under normal (non-operation)
circumstances.
A guide bar 86 is provided on the upper surface of the shelf 84,
and is operatively coupled to an actuation system that functions to
cause a bubble ring 106 to experience reciprocating movement across
a stationery wiping bar 94 that is fixedly secured to a collection
funnel 186 at the location of the front opening 38. The guide bar
86 can be a straight bar that extends at an angle with respect to
the side edges of the shelf 84. The wiping bar 94 can be a vertical
bar that is positioned at about, or slightly offset from, the
center of the front opening 38 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and further
reinforced by a transverse reinforcing segment 96 (secured to the
housing 22) that connects the wiping bar 94 to the housing 22 so as
to provide structural support to the rigidity of the wiping bar 94.
Without the support provided by the reinforcing segment 96, the
wiping bar 94 may break after extended contact with the bubble ring
106. In this regard, the platform 80, the vertical piece 82 and the
shelf 84 also function as a link system between the trigger 44 and
the actuation system so that movement of the trigger 44 is
translated into movement by the actuation system.
Referring to FIGS. 4-9, the actuation system includes a pivot bar
100 and a resilient member 102. The pivot bar 100 has a front end
104 that is attached to a connecting plate 105. A bubble generating
ring 106 is attached to the connecting plate 105 at an upper
portion of the ring 106. The pivot bar 100 further includes a guide
leg 130 and a hook leg 132 that extend vertically downwardly from
the pivot bar 100. The resilient member 102 (which can be a spring)
has one end that is secured to the housing 22 and an opposing end
that is hooked to the hook leg 132. The guide leg 130 is positioned
alongside the angled guide bar 86, and is adapted to slide back and
forth along the inner surface of the guide bar 86. The pivot bar
100 is retained in a fixed horizontal position (but with the
capability of pivoting) with respect to the housing 22 by a
plurality of spaced-apart hangers 134 that are secured to the top
of the inside of the housing 22. Each hanger 134 has an opening
through which the pivot bar 100 extends, so that the pivot bar 100
can essentially pivot about the horizontal axis defined by aligning
these openings in the plurality of hangers 134.
The bubble ring 106 is adapted to be moved between a normal
(non-bubble-generating) position (see FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8), in
which the bubble ring 106 is positioned on one side (e.g., near the
three o'clock position) of the front opening 38, to a bubble
generating (actuated) position (see FIGS. 3, 5, 7 and 9), where the
bubble ring 106 is positioned at the other side (e.g., near the
nine o'clock position) of the front opening 38. The structure of
the bubble ring 106 is illustrated in FIG. 11. The ring 106 has an
annular base piece 108 that has a cylindrical wall 110 extending
therein to define an annular chamber 112 therein. An opening 114 is
provided in the base piece 108. The ring 106 also has an annular
cover piece 116 that fits into the annular chamber 112 of the base
piece 108. A plurality of outlets 118 can be provided along the
inner annular surface, and/or the front surface 120, of the cover
piece 116. A tubing 122 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) is attached to the
opening 114 of the ring 106 to deliver bubble solution from the
solution bottle 32 via the tubing 122 into the chamber 112 of the
ring 106. The bubble solution from the chamber 112 can then leak
out of the outlets 118 onto the front surface 120 of the ring
106.
Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5, 10 and 12-14, the assembly 20 includes
a pump system 61 that functions to pump the bubble solution from
the solution bottle 32 to the bubble ring 106. The pump system
includes the motor 50, the tubing 122, a guide wall 150, and a gear
system that functions to draw bubble solution through the tubing
122. The gear system includes a motor gear 152 that is rotatably
coupled to a shaft 154 of the motor 50, a first gear housing plate
156, a first gear 158, a second gear 160, a resilient element 162
(such as a spring), two pressure rollers 164, 166, a shaft 168, a
slider 174, and a second gear housing plate 175. The motor gear 152
has teeth that are engaged with the teeth of the first gear 158.
The first gear 158 is rotatably coupled to the gear housing plates
156 and 175 via a shaft 159, and has teeth that are engaged with
the teeth of the second gear 160. The opposing ends of the shaft
159 are rotatably secured in openings 151 and 153 in the gear
housing plates 156 and 175, respectively. The second gear 160
rotates about an axis defined by the shaft 168, and the resilient
element 162 is carried on the shaft 168 between the second gear 160
and a circular plate 155. The shaft 168 extends through an opening
in the plate 155, through the second gear 160 and is rotatably
secured to openings 177 and 179 in the gear housing plates 156 and
175, respectively. As a result, the second gear 160 can rotate
about the shaft 168 that is secured to the gear housing plates 156
and 175. Each pressure roller 164, 166 has a shaft 172 and a
bulbous section 170 that has a larger diameter than the diameter of
the shaft 172. Each shaft 172 is secured to openings 171 that are
spaced-apart along the periphery of the circular plate 155.
The slider 174 is best illustrated in FIGS. 12-14. The slider 174
has a body section 1742 with an angled front portion 1741 that is
adapted to be abutted by a pushing end surface 45 of the trigger 44
(see FIGS. 6 and 7). A tapered piece 1743 extends from the rear of
the body section 1742. The thickness of the tapered piece 1743
gradually decreases from the body section 1742 until it reaches its
smallest thickness at its terminal tip 1744. In particular, this
decreasing thickness (see FIGS. 12-14) is accomplished by providing
a flat top surface 1745 and a bottom surface 1746 that gradually
angles towards the top surface 1745 to reduce the thickness of the
curved piece 1743. An opening 1747 is provided at about the center
of the body section 1742. A shaft 178 extends through the opening
1747 and has one end secured to the opening 169 on the first gear
housing plate 156, and has the other end secured to the opening 167
on the second gear housing plate 175. In addition, a resilient
member 176 (e.g., a spring) is pivotably secured to the housing 22
by a pin 173, and has one end contacting the front portion 1741 of
the slider 174, and an opposite end contacting the pump chamber 280
of the pump 54. See FIGS. 19 and 20. Thus, the slider 174 can be
pivoted with respect to the gear housing plate 156 about an axis
defined by the shaft 178, with the resilient member 176 functioning
to normally bias the slider 174 in a counter-clockwise direction
(as viewed from the orientation in FIG. 19) to a first normal
position that is shown in FIGS. 12 and 19. In this normal position,
the plate 155 is positioned adjacent the terminal tip 1744 of the
slider 174, where the thickness of the curved piece 1743 is
smallest. In addition, the tubing 122 extends from the interior of
the solution bottle 32, through the connector 34, into the housing
22, and passes through a path (that is defined by the pressure
rollers 164, 166, and the guide wall 150) that leads to the opening
114 of the bubble ring 106. At the location of the pressure rollers
164, 166 and the guide wall 150, the tubing 122 is positioned
between the bulbous section 170 of the pressure rollers 164, 166
and the guide wall 150.
The pump system 61 operates in the following manner. When the motor
50 is actuated, the motor gear 152 will rotate, thereby causing the
first and second gears 158 and 160 to rotate as well. As the second
gear 160 rotates, the pressure rollers 164, 166 will also rotate
because they are carried by the plate 155 which rotates with the
second gear 160 because both the plate 155 and the second gear 160
are carried by the shaft 168. As the pressure rollers 164, 166
rotate, they will apply selected pressure on different parts of the
tubing 122 in the manner described below to draw bubble solution
from the solution bottle 32 to the bubble ring 106.
A fan system is illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 8 and 9. An air
generator 188 (such as a fan) is provided inside a fan housing 189,
and is rotatably coupled to the motor 50. An air inlet tube 191
extends from an opening 194 at the top of the housing 22 and is
connected to the fan housing 189. A wind tunnel 190 is positioned
in the barrel section 26, and is connected to the fan housing 189.
Thus, air from the outside can be directed through the opening 194,
through the tube 191 into the fan housing 189, and then through the
wind tunnel 190 so that the air generator 188 can direct the air as
a stream of air through the length of the wind tunnel 190 to the
front end 196 of the wind tunnel 190. The front end 196 of the wind
tunnel 190 has an opening, and is positioned adjacent the bubble
ring 106 so that the stream of air can be blown against the bubble
ring 106 in the bubble generating position to generate bubbles.
The fan system is provided with an air control system that
regulates the amount of air being introduced into the housing 22
from the outside. The air control system includes a slide member
214 that adjustably covers portions of the opening 194 to regulate
the amount of air that is delivered from the external environment
into the air inlet tube 191. The slide member 214 has a button 218
that extends through a slot 216 in the housing 22 to the exterior
so that the user can adjust the air control system by sliding the
button 218 (and hence the slide member 214) back and forth in the
slot 216. An opening 210 is provided on the slide member 214 and is
adapted to be aligned with the opening 194. For example, when the
slide member 214 is adjusted so that the opening 210 in the slide
member 214 is completely aligned with the opening 194 in the
housing 194 (i.e., to the rear-most position as viewed in the
orientation of FIG. 1), the maximum amount of external air is
allowed to enter and flow through the openings 194 and 210, and
into the air inlet tube 191 (see FIG. 8). On the other hand, as the
slide member 214 is slid forwardly along the slot 216 (as viewed
from the orientation of FIG. 1), the slide member 214 will cover
varying portions of the opening 194 (see FIG. 9) so that decreasing
amounts of external air are allowed to enter and flow through the
openings 194 and 210, and into the air inlet tube 191. When new
batteries (i.e., the power supply 48) are used, the air generator
188 will be stronger so that less external air is needed to
generate a consistent stream of air to be directed through the wind
tunnel 190 at the bubble ring 106. On the other hand, when the
batteries get older, the air generator 188 will become
progressively weaker so that more external air is needed to
generate a consistent stream of air to be directed through the wind
tunnel 190 at the bubble ring 106. Thus, depending on the strength
of the power supply 48 and the air generator 188, the user can
adjust the amount of external air introduced through the openings
194 and 210 into the fan housing 189 by blocking varying portions
of the opening 194.
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, 8, 9 and 15, a collection funnel 186 is
positioned inside the housing 22 and below the location of the
bubble ring 106. The collection funnel 186 can collect and receive
droplets of bubble solution that have dripped from the bubble ring
106, and deliver these droplets of bubble solution back into the
interior of the solution bottle 32. The cap-like connector 34 is
fixedly secured to the housing 22 to define the receiving space 30.
The bottle 32 can be threadably connected to, and disengaged from,
the connector 34. The connector 34 has a first opening 352 through
which the tubing 122 extends, and a second opening 353. The funnel
186 is fixedly attached (e.g., by welding, glue, etc.) to the top
surface 354 of the cap 351. As shown in FIG. 5, a valve element 360
extends from the second opening 353. Referring to FIG. 16, the
valve element 360 has a cylindrical body 362 with a shoulder 364 at
its lower end. A bore 366 extends through the cylindrical body 362,
and a ball 368 is retained inside the bore 366. The bottom wall 370
of the cylindrical body 362 has an elongated slit 372 which has a
width that is smaller than the diameter of the ball 368. Therefore,
as shown in FIG. 16, the ball 368 cannot pass through the slit 372,
but can only be seated against the slit 372 in a manner that
partially, but not completely, blocks the slit 372.
The cylindrical body 362 is attached to the second opening 353. In
addition, the second opening 353 is smaller than the diameter of
the ball 368 and the diameter of the bore 366, so that the ball 368
cannot pass through the second opening 353 to the interior of the
funnel 186. Thus, when the assembly 20 is oriented in the
orientation shown in FIGS. 1-3, the ball 368 will be seated at the
bottom of the bore 366 against the slit 372, thereby allowing
bubble solution collected by the funnel 186 to flow through the
second opening 353, the bore 366, and the portions of slit 372 that
are not blocked by the ball 368, back into the solution container
32. On the other hand, if the assembly 20 is inverted (i.e., turned
upside down), the ball 368 will be abutted against the second
opening 353, and will completely block the second opening 353, so
that bubble solution from the solution container 32 can flow
through the slit 372 and the bore 366, but cannot be spilled
through the second opening 353 into the interior of the funnel
186.
The liquid generator is illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, and
includes a pump 54 (described in greater detail below) that is
housed in the handle section 24. The pump 54 has a piston 234
coupled to the bubble trigger 42, and a first tubing 238 that
extends through the housing 22 into the bottle 33 for drawing the
liquid (e.g., water) into the pump 54. The pump 54 further includes
a second tubing 240 that extends through the barrel section 26 and
is coupled to the nozzle 39. The bottle 33 is threadably connected
to the connector 35 in the same manner that the bottle 32 is
threadably connected to the connector 34, and the connectors 34 and
35 can have the same construction.
As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the pump 54 has a pump chamber 280
inside which is retained a spring 282. The piston 234 extends
through an opening 284 in the chamber 280 and has a pusher surface
286 that is positioned adjacent one end of the spring 282. The
chamber 280 also has an inlet 288 and an outlet 290. An inlet valve
292 is provided inside a receptacle 296 adjacent the inlet 288 and
the tubing 238, and an outlet valve 294 is provided inside a
receptacle 298 adjacent the outlet 290 and the tubing 240.
When the pump 54 is in the non-use position shown in FIG. 17, the
withdrawal of the piston 234 in the direction of arrow FF creates a
vacuum that draws liquid from the bottle 33 into the chamber 280.
This occurs because the vacuum draws the inlet valve 292 towards
the inlet 288 (compare FIGS. 17 and 18), to allow liquid to flow
around the inlet valve 292 to enter the chamber 280. The vacuum
also pulls the outlet valve 294 down to be seated over the outlet
290 to prevent liquid from exiting the chamber 280. When the user
presses on the trigger 42, the piston 234 is depressed in the
direction of arrow RR (see FIG. 18). This causes the piston 234 to
compress the spring 282, creating a pressure that pushes the inlet
valve 292 away from the inlet 288 in receptacle 296 to block liquid
flow into the chamber 280. The pressure also pushes the liquid
inside the chamber 280 out of the outlet 290, displacing the outlet
valve 294 from the outlet 290, and causing the liquid to be
delivered via the tubing 240 to the nozzle 39 for ejection. When
the trigger 42 is released again, the spring load from the spring
282 will bias the piston 234 back in the forward direction of arrow
FF, creating the vacuum to draw liquid into the chamber 280 again.
Although FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate one possible embodiment for the
pump 54, it is possible to use any available pump.
The assembly 20 operates in the following manner. In the normal
(non-bubble-generating) position, which is illustrated in FIGS. 2,
4, 6 and 8, the bubble ring 106 is positioned on one side (e.g.,
near the three o'clock position) of the front opening 38 on one
side of the wiping bar 94. In this normal position, the resilient
member 102 normally biases the pivot bar 100 towards one side of
the housing 22 (see FIGS. 6 and 8), and the resilient member 76
normally biases the trigger 44 in the direction of the arrow F. At
this time, the user can threadably secure the necks of the bottles
32 and 33 to the respective connectors 34 and 35 so that the
assembly 20 is ready for use.
The assembly 20 is actuated by pressing the trigger 44 in the
direction of the arrow R (see FIGS. 4 and 5) to overcome the
natural bias of the resilient member 76, which causes three
sequences of events occur at about the same time.
First, bubble solution is pumped to the bubble ring 106. In this
regard, the rearward movement of the trigger 44 causes the
electrical contact 60 to engage the motor 50, thereby forming a
closed electrical circuit that will deliver power from the power
source 48 to the motor 50. The motor 50 will turn on, thereby
causing the motor gear 152 to drive and rotate the first and second
gears 158 and 160. As the pressure rollers 164, 166 rotate, they
will apply selected pressure on different parts of the tubing 122.
FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate this in greater detail. FIG. 12
illustrates the relationship between the pressure rollers 164, 166
and the tubing 122 when the assembly 20 is in the normal
non-bubble-generating condition, and FIG. 13 illustrates the
relationship between the pressure rollers 164, 166 and the tubing
122 when the assembly 20 is in the actuated (i.e.,
bubble-generating) position. As shown in FIG. 12, the tubing 122 is
normally positioned between the bulbous section 170 of the pressure
rollers 164, 166 and the guide wall 150. The resilient element 162
normally biases the circular plate 155 towards the gear housing
plate 175, and the circular plate 155 is positioned adjacent the
bottom surface 1746 of the terminal tip 1744 of the slider 174.
When the trigger 44 is pressed (se FIGS. 5 and 20), the trigger 44
pushes the angled front portion 1741 of the slider 174 in a
clockwise direction (as viewed from the orientation of FIG. 20),
overcoming the normal bias of the resilient element 176 and causing
the slider 174 to pivot clockwise about the axis defined by the
shaft 178. As the slider 174 pivots, the curved piece 1743 pushes
the circular plate 155 towards the guide wall 150 (see FIG. 13),
causing the bulbous sections 170 of the pressure rollers 164, 166
to be pushed into the tubing 122 so that the tubing 122 is
compressed against the guide wall 150. Thus, rotation of the
pressure rollers 164, 166 will compress different portions of the
tubing 122, thereby creating air pressure to draw the bubble
solution from the interior of the solution bottle 32 through the
tubing 122 into the chamber 112 of the bubble ring 106, where the
bubble solution will bleed out through the outlets 118 on to the
front surface 120 of the bubble ring 106.
This arrangement and structure of the pressure rollers 164, 166 is
effective in prolonging the useful life of the tubing 122 and the
pump system 61. In particular, the pressure rollers 164, 166 (i.e.,
the bulbous sections 170) only apply pressure against the tubing
122 when the trigger 44 is pressed, so that the tubing 122 does not
experience any pressure when the trigger 44 is not pressed. In
other words, the bulbous sections 170 are positioned adjacent to,
but do not compress, the tubing 122 when the trigger 44 is not
pressed. This is to be contrasted with conventional pump systems
used for pumping bubble solution to a bubble producing device,
where pressure is always applied to the tubing regardless of
whether the trigger is actuated. Over a long period of time, this
constant pressure will deform the tubing, making it difficult for
bubble solution to be drawn through the tubing.
Second, the bubble ring 106 will be moved from the position shown
in FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8 to a position on the other side of the front
opening 38 (e.g., near the nine o'clock position), as shown in
FIGS. 3, 5, 7 and 9. As best shown by comparing FIGS. 4, 6 and 8
with FIGS. 5, 7 and 9, respectively, when the trigger 44 is pressed
in the direction of arrow R, the platform 80, vertical piece 82,
and shelf 84 carried by the trigger 44 will also move in the same
direction R. The guide bar 86 that is carried on the shelf 84 will
also move in the same direction R. The guide leg 130 is normally
biased by the resilient member 102 to be positioned at the rear of
the angled guide bar 86 (see FIGS. 6 and 8). However, as the guide
bar 86 moves in the direction R, the guide leg 130 is dragged along
the angled surface of the guide bar 86 from the rear to the front
of the guide bar 86. As the guide leg 130 travels along the angled
surface of the guide bar 86 from the rear to the front, the pivot
bar 100 is pushed by the guide bar 86 to be pivoted in the curved
direction of the arrow P in FIG. 6 (counterclockwise if viewed from
the rear of the pivot bar 100), which causes the bubble ring 106 to
pivot in the same curved direction P. The curved direction P can
approximate the shape of a semi-circle. As the bubble ring 106
pivots in this curved direction P, the bubble ring 106 will travel
in a curved path as the front surface 120 of the bubble ring 106
wipes across the stationery wiping bar 94. The limit of the sliding
motion of the guide leg 130 along the angled surface of the guide
bar 86 is defined by the spring 102, which pulls the guide leg 130
back when the limit has been reached. At this point, the bubble
ring 106 will have completed its curved path across the wiping bar
94 and will be positioned on the other side of the front opening
38, with the opening in the bubble ring 106 being completely clear
of the wiping bar 94 and directly facing the open front end 196 of
the wind tunnel 190. The wiping motion of the wiping bar 94 along
the front surface 120 of the bubble ring 106 will generate a film
of bubble solution (from the bubble droplets emitted from the
outlets 118) that extends across the opening of the bubble ring
106.
Third, the air generator 188 that is secured to the motor 50 is
actuated when the motor 50 is turned on. In this regard, the
rearward movement of the trigger 44 causes the electrical contact
60 to engage the motor 50, thereby forming a closed electrical
circuit that will deliver power from the power source 48 to the
motor 50 to rotate the air generator 188. The air generator 188
blows a stream of air along the wind tunnel 190 towards the bubble
ring 106. This stream of air will then travel through the film of
bubble solution that has been formed over the bubble ring 106,
thereby creating bubbles. The amount of air blown by the air
generator 188 through the wind tunnel 190 can be adjusted by
manipulating the air control system in the manner described
above.
Thus, pressing the trigger 44 will create a film of bubble solution
across the bubble ring 106 by (i) pumping bubble solution from the
solution bottle 32 to the bubble ring 106, and (ii) and causing the
bubble ring 106 to be moved across the wiping bar 94 to the center
of the front opening 38 so that bubbles can be created. Pressing
the trigger 44 will also actuate the air generator 188 to blow
streams of air at the bubble ring 106 to create bubbles 18.
Once the bubbles 18 have been created, the user can then actuate
the other trigger 42 to cause a stream of liquid 19 (e.g., water)
to be ejected from the nozzle 39. The stream of liquid 19 can be
aimed at the bubbles 18 to pop the bubbles 18. Thus, when the user
presses the trigger 42 in the direction of arrow R, the liquid
generator is actuated in the manner described above to draw liquid
from the liquid bottle 33 through the tubing 238, the pump 54 and
the tubing 240 to be ejected via the nozzle 39. By placing the
triggers 42, 44 side-by-side, the user can actually press both
triggers 42, 44 simultaneously with different fingers of the same
hand.
When the user releases his or her pressing grip on the trigger 44,
the resilient member 76 will normally bias the trigger 44 back in
the direction F, causing three events to occur.
First, this will cause the electrical contact 60 carried on the
trigger 44 to be biased away from the motor 50 so that the
electrical circuit is opened, thereby cutting power to the motor
50. As a result, the air generator 188 will stop producing streams
of air. This is the first event.
The second event is that the pump system 61 will stop drawing
bubble solution from the solution bottle 32 to the bubble ring 106.
This occurs because power to the motor 50 has been cut so that the
gears 152, 158 and 160 stop rotating, and because the bias of the
trigger 44 back in the direction F will cause the pushing end
surface 45 of the trigger 44 to disengage the front portion 1741 of
the slider 174. As a result, the resilient member 176 will bias
front portion 1741 of the slider 174 to move the slider 174 in a
counterclockwise direction (as viewed from the orientation of FIG.
19), so that the curved piece 1743 of the slider 174 will move from
the position shown in FIGS. 13 and 20 back to the normal
(non-bubble-generating) position shown in FIGS. 12 and 19. This
movement of the curved piece 1743 allows the normal bias of the
resilient member 162 to push the circular plate 155 towards the
gear housing plate 175 as the circular plate 155 slides along the
bottom surface 1746 of the curved piece 1743. As the circular plate
155 moves towards the gear housing plate 175, the pressure applied
by the pressure rollers 164, 166 on the tubing 122 will be
released, as shown in FIG. 12.
In the third event, the movement of the trigger 44 in the direction
F will also cause the platform 80, the vertical piece 82, the shelf
84 and the guide bar 86 to move in the direction F. As the guide
bar 86 moves in the direction F, the normal bias of the resilient
member 102 will cause the guide leg 130 to be dragged along the
angled surface of the guide bar 86 from the front to the rear
thereof. As the guide leg 130 travels along the angled surface of
the guide bar 86 from the front to the rear thereof, the bias of
the resilient member 102 will pivot the pivot bar 100 to be pivoted
in the curved direction X (which can also approximate a
semi-circular shape) that is opposite to the arrow P in FIG. 6
(clockwise if viewed from the rear of the pivot bar 100), which
causes the bubble ring 106 to pivot in the same curved direction X.
As the bubble ring 106 pivots in this opposite curved direction X,
the bubble ring 106 will travel in a curved path as the front
surface 120 of the bubble ring 106 wipes across the stationery
wiping bar 94, back to the normal (non-bubble-generating) position
shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8.
In addition, the collection funnel 186 is positioned directly below
the bubble ring 106 to collect any stray droplets of bubble
solution that drip from the bubble ring 106. These stray droplets
can flow back into the solution bottle 32 via the collection funnel
186 and the valve element 360. In addition, the solution bottle 32
can be removed from the housing 22 by threadably disengaging the
neck of the solution bottle 32 from the connecting section 34, so
as to replenish or replace the supply of bubble solution.
Similarly, when the user releases his or her pressing grip on the
liquid trigger 42, the resilient member 282 will normally bias the
piston 234 and the trigger 42 back in the direction F, as described
above. The liquid bottle 33 can be removed from the housing 22 by
threadably disengaging the neck of the bottle 33 from the connector
35, so as to replenish or replace the supply of the liquid.
While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the
present invention, it will be understood that many modifications
may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The
accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as
would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present
invention.
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